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Who's Who - Mehmed Djaved Bey

Mehmed Djaved Bey (1875-1926), although
never close to the Young Turk leadership, nevertheless provided a vital role
in securing loans for the Turkish government prior to and during the First
World War.

Both a civil servant and
politician Djaved was the first Committee of Union and Progress member to
serve at Cabinet rank, serving as Finance Minister from 1909-11.

Returning to government in
1914 - again as Finance Minister - Djaved's tenure in office was on this
occasion brief, resigning in November 1914 in protest at the Ottoman
decision to
ally itself with the Central Powers and declare war with the
Entente Powers.

Out of office Djaved
remained influential however, continuing to serve on the Committee of Union
and Progress's executive council. Although he was not a close
associate of leaders including
Enver Pasha Djaved
ensured his continued place at the heart of financial administration through
his remarkable ability to raise funds.

Djaved managed to secure
continued rounds of fresh funding from Turkey's allies - chiefly Germany -
without making Turkey in any way economically dependent upon them. He
declined to give way to German demands intended upon post-war economic
concessions, periodically using the threat of loan non-repayment to silence
German pressure.

Djaved resumed his Cabinet
post in February 1917, remaining in office even when the government
collapsed in October 1918. Nevertheless forced into exile the
following month he later returned to republican Turkey in 1922. He was
later executed for subversion by the
Kemal regime in 1926.

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Saturday, 22 August, 2009Michael Duffy

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